Deisis Frieze

Type: Icon

Period: The first half of the 19 century

Author: Dimiter Molerov

Dimiter T. Molerov, born in 1780 in Bansko, son of Toma Vishanov the Moler. One of the best-known painters, a representative of the Bansko school of art, a disciple of his father, influenced by the art of Athos. Author of the murals of the naos in the St Archangels' paraclete in the Rila monastery, the murals in the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin in the Pchelino dependance. In 1840 and 1841 together with his son Simeon Molerov he paints the murals and the sponsors' portraits in St. Nicholas' and St. John of Rila's paracletes in the principal church in the Rila monastery. Among D. Molerov's major achievements in iconography are the following icons: St. Nicholas (1816) from St. Archangel Michael's church in the village of Leshko, Christ All-triumphant with Angels and Cherubim (1833), The Nativity and a Crucifixion from St Elijah the Prophet's church in the village of Usenovo. He has also worked in Belgrade on an invitation by Prince Milosh Obrenovich of Serbia. He died in 1870 in Bansko.

School: Bansko Iconographic School

Dimmensions (cm): 25 / 105 / 3

Location

Country: Bulgaria

Province: Montana

Town: Berkovitsa

Gallery: Art Gallery

Source

Country: Bulgaria

Other source: Others

Description

The iconography is a traditional for this theme, this part of the Apostolic frieze beginning, from left to right, with Saint Bartholomew, Saint Philip, Saint Andrew, Saint Evangelist Mark and Saint Evangelist Matthew.

Iconographical technique: Combined

The "wet into wet" method has also been made use of in the carnations. The varnish cover is applied thinly and evenly. There is some gilding with gold-leaf only on the aureoles of the saints.

Base material: Wood

The base is a one-piece softwood panel, without any beams. The ground coat is of plaster, laid in a thin and even layer.

State, restoration traces and comments

There are overpaintings around the inscriptions of the last three saints, as also destructions on the aureole of Saint Matthew. Retouchings have been done in the places of the destructions.